2026 U.S. Open Live Leaderboard and Scores

Who are the favorites to win the 2026 U.S. Open?
Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young are three names likely to be at the forefront of many people’s minds as the U.S. Open descends on Shinnecock Hills.
This tournament is the only major that has eluded Scheffler, who has now been world number one for over 175 weeks, though he has registered four top-10 finishes in just six starts—including a second place finish at Brookline in 2022.
READ: Winners and Losers From First Round of the 2026 U.S. Open: Wyndham > Wind
McIlroy won a second straight Masters in April and he looks like a completely different player in the majors now that he doesn’t have the pressure of completing the Grand Slam weighing him down.
As for Young, he’s one of the PGA Tour’s form players—a Players Championship win in March was followed up with a dominant six-stroke victory at the Cadillac Championship in May—and the quality of his iron play could make all the difference as the world’s elite are put to the test in Long Island, New York.
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick is also having a terrific season and will expect to contend, as will the big-hitting Jon Rahm.
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Toby Cudworth is Lead Editor for SI FC. A Premier League, EFL and UEFA accredited journalist, Cudworth is a graduate of the University of Gloucestershire, where he studied Broadcast Journalism. He previously worked for 90min as a writer, academy manager, editor and eventually content lead, before joining Sports Illustrated in May 2025. A lifelong supporter of West Ham United, he still can’t quite believe they won a European trophy and feels nature is healing now that results have slipped back into the yo-yo patterns of the last 30 years.